Precious gems go under the microscope in Hong Kong exhibition

‘Discover the Gemstones, Ruby & Sapphire’ invites visitors to interact with uncut stones

Blue Bell Blossoms, a photomicrographic image of a sapphire taken by Billie Hughes. Photo: Billie Hughes / Lotus Gemology

Alice Leung picks up a blue sapphire with a pair of tweezers and holds it under a micro­scope, the enhanced image popping up on a computer screen next to her. “See those marks in the corner, the ones that look like needles? They are what we call ‘inclusions’ and they tell us that this gem has not been processed.”

Leung, education manager at L’École, School of Jewellery Arts, Asia-Pacific, is leading a guided tour through “Discover the Gemstones, Ruby & Sapphire”, an interactive exhibition running at the school’s space in the K11 Musea, in Tsim Sha Tsui, until September 30.

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